窃情谋欲

[Dear Maelys,

Leaving without saying goodbye is bad manners but under these trying circumstances, I didn't have any other choice. I'm taking my people with me too(also the other travelers too). I hope you don't mind as you don't have any use for them lest you want a beef with Zadkiel's.

I, of course, know, who you are. Though my reasons to visit the fort were different, meeting you was lovely.

That doesn't mean what I said about your master was lies just to stay alive. I know about your master and her bravery, even if the people she helped curse her, I won't.

I wish we could've met under normal circumstances so that we could've completed our lovely conversations.

Your goal was the gem, right? Visit the shrine on Goldberry hill. Who knows, you might get surprised. (wink, wink.)

Cough~ cough~ I also took a pouch of gold. Consider it as the commission for the trade since you have our wagons. And for the gem, you're indeed in debt with me. I'll ask you for help when I need it. So wait for my call.

Without delaying your beautiful sleep, I'm signing off.

(P.S. Wary of the Autumn King. People can be sage whenever they want to.)

Yours lovely,

Young master]

Her face relaxed, lips stretching to form a lovely smile.

"Sent a team to the Goldberry hill's shrine. What we are looking for can be there."

"You believe that prick?" The bulky man asked as he had a hard time believing the trickster.

"Yeah, for some reason, I do believe him. If what he says is true then the siblings must be on their way to take it back. Samuel, I need that gem. So make it quick." Maelys said as she folded the letter neatly before meticulously placing it in the drawer.

"What about him? He knows our fort. He can bring in his father's forces. Shouldn't we do something about him?" Samuel wasn't able to digest the fact that a prickly and sickly young master fooled the entire fort and pretty much undone what they painstakingly did. He wanted to crush that annoying bastard. Not to mention he dared to call the master her name. Even he hadn't dared to do that.

"No. We're not going to do anything about him. He was testing the waters with this letter. By letting us know that he knows me and the fort very well, he was forming a connection with us. If he wanted to, he could've already just revealed our location to the world which will garner him more power than what he had now. And what're the odds that he hasn't already said about us to anyone? His death can very much put us in danger." She stood up from her seat.

"It was a long night, Samuel. I need some sleep."

"...As you wish." Samuel bowed and left the room. His body was fuming at the thought of that sickly bastard.

'How dare he?' He vowed to crush that ant, the next time he finds him.

***

As Luther promised, the young master did not had to wait for sleeping. He took a loaf of bread and butter and went straight to bed. He also took a recovery potion, as Luther had bought them for the injured ones.

After eating his fills and drinking the potion, he melted into the roughly padded bed. If it was any other time, he might have complained but now, at the end of the long day, this was heaven.

For this Damien, who was accustomed to these types of beds, it was nothing new and annoying but for his body, which has only slept in luxury, it was not a pleasant experience.

The other members of the party had a small drinking party arranged as they wanted to celebrate being alive, of course, they had his permission.

He was invited but he politely declined as he knew, he would collapse, if he don't get anymore of the sleep and much wanted rest.

"Hope tomorrow is a nice day."

He prayed, even though he does not believe in these kind of things.

'Was it God that transmigrated me? Or was it another phenomenon? But why? Why me of all the peoples?'

Many questions spiraled around his tired brain, he wanted to know the reason. He didn't thought about those things when he was first transmigrated but now that everything was happening, things he don't even know, he was having doubts about the whole ordeal.

'Whatever the reasons may, it will reveal in time and I'm pretty sure things won't be nice and good after that. So, until then, I might as enjoy this life. Enjoy the women and exploit the power and live the life I dreamt of. He~ He~ He~'

Slowly he drifted towards sleep, as a mother welcoming her child after a long time.

***

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Where is it?... Calen, where is it??!!!" Celeste howled as she frantically searched the shrine.

Nobody was entitled to enter the shrine as it was supposed to be the resting place of divine beings.

But this particular shrine, which was only large enough to shelter the god statue, was now being cramped by a wild lady.

She was frantically searching every nook and cranny, hoping to find the magical gem she hid behind the statue.

It was a perfect place to hide something. For a town, that worships Gods and sees them as the ultimate ruler, daring to enter the shrine was like welcoming death itself.

So they were sure no one will search the shrine...but they were proven wrong as the magical gem was completely gone, gone without any evidence of ever existing.

"...Are you sure you put it there, sister?" Calen asked warily as he put distance from his sister. He knows how crazy she is when she loses her shit.

"Of course, bloody fuck, I put it in here!" Her eyes swelled up as drops of tears rolled down her red cheeks.

"Shit! Who stole it? Please God, just give it back to me if this is a test." She looked at the figurine in the middle.

She doesn't believe in these folktales and myths, but now, in the face of absolute despair, she unconsciously prayed to the unresponsive statue.

The gem was worth more than 800k gold. There was a seller at the Winter Kingdom, who wanted the gem. An archeologist or something like that. A crazy rich foreign girl, who hunts treasures and lost artifacts. Money was not an issue for her. She wanted to see the gem in real life to make sure it was the original thing but now... it's all gone.

"Weren't you the one who hid the gem? You sure, you hid it here?" Alex, one of her old friend and crew mates asked. Celeste was responsible for the gem, and when the other guys came after them, they ran. Calen wanted to fight them but everyone else decided against it and ran.

While the other crew members distracted them, Celeste hid the gem but now... it's gone.

"Of course, it was here. What? You think I'm lying? Huh...? Is that what you're saying? That I lied to you for taking the gem for myself? Is that it, Alex?" She hissed at him.

"N-no! That's not what I meant, Celeste. We can look all over here many times you want but if it is not here, then we're wasting our time. I'm not saying you hid it but it is also possible that you might've misplaced it or the chances of someone taking it also is not neglectable." He calmly explained the situation.

Her breathing ragged as she clenched on her knees.

·ƈθm "Whoever took it, they have high skills like the thieves. There are no shoe marks nor wagon marks to track, just like our dear abductors not to mention they were also seeking the gem. So it's highly likely that they can also be suspects." Calen said, as a matter-of-factly.

"...Who are they?" Her voice trembling, eyes glinting.

"Don't know. The young master might know."

"...The young master..." She looked at her brother with determination and anger. "Looks like we've to properly apologize to him." A rare smile appeared on the brother-sister duo, both of them had different thoughts but it evolved around a single person, who was sleeping peacefully at an inn without a care in the world.